A process for putting a tire blank or unfinished tire to be vulcanized in a heated tire press from a tire-blank stand comprises engaging or gripping the tire blank by a loader, swinging the tire blank into position between the tire-forming pieces of the heated tire press and fastening the heated tire press to the upper bead of the tire blank. This process further comprises releasing and pivoting away the loader from the unfinished tire, closing the tire press so that the upper and the lower bead contact on the associated rim rings of the tire press, fixing them thereon by air pressure and finally further closing the tire forming pieces on the unfinished tire to effect vulcanization.
Manual operation of the heated tire press is known both with centrally controlled tire forming pieces and also in many component segment forming pieces. The socalled outer gripper is used for transport of the unfinished tire. It fastens on the outer circumference of the unfinished tire and brings it into position between the tire-forming pieces of the opened heated tire press. Then as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,385 the upper rim ring travels from the upper tire forming pieces down until it reaches the upper bead of the tire blank. Subsequently the upper bead is fixed on the upper rim ring by an auxiliary bellows and then the outer gripper is released and removed. Thus a special retaining and moving mechanism is required for that rim ring. Moreover a suitable traveling device is required for mechanically fixing the upper beads in position. Of course a tire blank gripper is already known which engages the tire blank from above inside under the upper bead and puts it on the lower tire forming piece. The subsequently required centering of the upper bead on the tire forming pieces to be closed is difficult.